Brass plated steel machine screws, anyone?

[PHeadland]

I have some bookshelves that use machine screws and cross dowels to hold their frames together. The machine screws are metric: M6 50mm long, brass plated (antique?) over steel and (here's the real killer) flat head (countersunk). As luck would have it, since moving house I am missing some of the cross dowels and the screws, so I need to find replacements. Ideally I would like to stick with metric fasteners, but here in the USA that seems to be a tall order, so I could switch to

1/4-20 at a pinch.

I can find 1/4-20 cross dowels easily enough, but finding a source of brass plated flat head machine screws seems to not be so easy.

Can anyone suggest a supplier who might be able to help (ideally staying metric, but going the 1/4-20 route at a pinch)?

[matthew silver]

Try LeeValley

HomeDepot - the one in my neighborhood has a full selection of metric fastners, but I'm in Canada

If there is an Ikea store

near you, they too will have them, as most of their fastners are metric - and they use cross dowels in almost everything.

Matt

[Lew Hodgett]

Go down to you nearest GOOD hardware store that has a good selection of fasteners with sample in hand.

Have them special order a box (100 pcs) of what you need.

HTH

Lew

[Roy Smith]

Or try

Truly awesome selection of screws in all sorts of sizes, materials, head styles, etc. If they don't have it, you probably don't need it.

[Mark & Juanita]

Works better if you try:

I've used them in the past, their brass prices are very good.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Now we'll just use some glue to hold things in place until the brads dry +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Lew Hodgett]

They are a marine supplier.

They won't have anyting that is brass plated steel.

Bronze, 316 S/S, 18-8 S/S, maybe, but never brass plated steel since neither steel or brass are worth a hoot in salt water.

HTH

Lew

[Dave Hinz]

Silly question - why do these have to be steel? Would straight brass work?

[PHeadland]

Good (not silly) question! I realised that the wood (looks like some kind of pine) would tear long before the thread on a 1/4-20 brass screw would ever strip, so I bought some brass screws and the job's a good 'un.

My thanks to all of you who replied.

[Dave Hinz]

Not directly relevant here, but I've also used steel screws to get a hole in wood ready for a brass screw. Brass can't take the torque, but putting a steel screw of the same size in first makes the hole ready.

[Bob K 207]

Re: Brass plated steel machine screws, anyone?

Imperial or metric 6.5 mm is rather close to 1/4"